Past Productions
Whether it's by ingeniously setting The Tempest (1997) in the middle of California Plaza's sprawling body of water, staging Julius Caesar on the steps of City Hall (1998), having the frenetic energy of The Comedy of Errors (2001) unfold in a suburban mall, or using the iconic buildings of 1940s Central Avenue as the backdrop for A Midsummer Night's Dream(2007), SF/LA grounds our productions in the local landscape. Read on for a quick overview of our most recent shows!
*Member of Actors' Equity Association, the Union of Professional Actors and Stage Managers in the United States
The Taming of the Shrew
Geoffrey Lower as Petruchio and Sabra Williams as Katherine negotiate their way down the road of life.
Photo by Craig Schwartz
July 9-20, 2008
@ The Catheral of Our Lady of the Angels
July 23-27, 2008
@ The South Coast Botanic Garden
Set in a world inspired by the neighborhoods of modern L.A. and the roads that conect them, this production was a fresh look at Shakespeare's familiar tale of deal striking and bargain making.
Directed by Ben Donenberg
Cast:
Baptista – John Apicella*
Tranio – Bruce Beatty*
Vicentio – Gregg Daniel*
Gremio – Lance Davis*
Widow/Seamstress/Servant – Julieta Garza
Bianca – Amy Handelman
Pedant – Brent Jennings*
Petruchio – Geoffrey Lower*
Drumio – Anthony Manough*
Hortensio –Michael Manuel*
Biondello/Curtis – Christopher Neiman
Lucentio – Desean Terry*
Katherine – Sabra Williams*
2,400 cans collected for Food for Thought!
What the critics said:
"The [wheels] provide extra zing to a production that's already winningly zesty"
– Don Shirley, L.A. City Beat
"Like a decent joy ride, this Taming delivers speed and fun"
– David Ng, Los Angeles Times
"Sumer Shakespeare under the stars should be an al-fresco delight. And this rendition...certainly fits the bill."
– Jim Farber, Long Beach Press-Telegram
Read more about SF/LA in the news.
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Lester Purry as Oberon and J. Karen Thomas as Titania light up the night.
Photo by Craig Schwartz
July 11-22, 2007
@ The Catheral of Our Lady of the Angels
July 25-29, 2007
@ The South Coast Botanic Garden
Audiences were dazzled by A Midsummer Night's Dream's singing and swing dancing fairies who vividly evoked the sights and sounds of the early Los Angeles jazz scene.
Directed by Ben Donenberg
Cast:
Peter Quince – Bryan Cogman*
Egeus/Snout/Sneed – Gregg Daniel*
Hermia – Dawn Lyen Gardner*
Robin Starveling/Peas – Fri Forjindam
Francis Flute/Moth – Brian Joseph
Puck/Philostrate – Anthony Manough*
Helena – Raina Simone Moore*
Demetrius – A.K. Murtadha*
Snug/Web – Christopher Neiman
Nick Bottom – Geoffrey Owens*
Oberon/Theseus – Lester Purry*
Lysander – Christopher Michael Rivera*
Titania/Hippolyta – J. Karen Thomas
1,900 cans collected for Food for Thought!
What the critics said:
"It's one of the funniest Midsummer's I've seen."
– Don Shirley, L.A. City Beat's Critic's Pick
"The jazz setting serves as stylistic helium, lifting an already hyperkinetic comedy to giddy heights"
– Charlotte Stoudt, Los Angeles Times
"[A Midsummer Night's Dream] might be [SF/LA's] most joyous, accessible, and funny production in many years."
– Jeff Favre, Downtown News